The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-02-05
NEW YEARS DAY.
How IL Has Been Observed at the
White House in tho Past.

White House in tho Past.
In the days of Mines. Washington,
Madison, Monroe, and so on down TO
Mrs. John Quincy Adams time, the
New Years receptions witnessed the
very creme de Ia creme of metropolitan
society at the white house. Refresh
ments used to be served, and the rccep-
tons were decidedly favored with
courtly etiquette. When General Jack
son was elected his democratic friends
had, of course, TO pay him New Years
call. The refreshments, especially the
punch. were absolutely fought for until
they had to be given up
Mrs. Washington assisted her hus.
band in receiving the gentlemen of New
York, who called TO pay their respects
to the chief magistrate on Friday, Jan
uary |, 1870, ut what was then called
the executive mansion. at No. Cherry
street, New York. Mrs. John Quincy
Adams was ut the first New Years re.
ception held at the white house here,
then in such an unfinished state that
she used the east room to dry her
clothes in. Then came President JEFF
ferson, a widower, whose two daugh-
tiers did what they could to smooth over
his democratic opposition to the courtly
ceremonies of the old federalists, fol-
lowed by that charming North Carolina
Quakeress, Dolly Payne, who first mar
ried lawyer named Todd, and then
Mr. Madison. Ii is chronicled that I'M
der her rule new dispensation of So
cial life was introduced into the white
house, especially after the peace with
England, 1915. Her receptions were
gay, sparkling and delightful, and her
popularity was unbounded, and she
reigncd in Washington to the end Other
long and happy life. Under Mrs. Mon
roe and Mrs. John Quincy Adams we
had in the social reunion of the eXecu-
tive mansion happy blending OF dig
nifty, retirement and republican SIM
plicity. Mrs. j. q, Adams was the last
of the school of Martha Washington, of
which she was 4 worthy representa-.
tive.
Then came another widower, Presl.
dent jackson. who banished etiquette
and fashion from the white house and
introduced the sovereign people. re-
member well one very amusing reception
in Jackson's time, when patriotic set
of democratic dairymen in New York
had made and sent to him mammoth
cheese, which he generously had dis
tributed among his visitors. Cheese
was ''the order of the day and the
account of the scene by that fastidious
writer, n. =. Willis, shows how his
aristocratc senses were troubled. "Vis-
itors found the sidewalk, extending
from the gateway 10 the white house,
thronged with citizens of all classes,
those coming away having eacha small
brown paper parcel and a very strong
smell, those advancing manifcstlng by
shakings of the head and frequent ex-
clamation. that there may be too much
of good thing, and particularly OF
cheese. The beautiful portico was
thronged with boys and coach-drivers'
and the odor strengthened with every
step. We forced our way over the
threshold and encountered an atmos-
phere TO which the meph,tc gas lloat-
ing over Avernus must be faint and in
nocuous. On the side of the hall hung
rough likeness of the general, EN-
blazoned with eagle and stars, forming
n background to the huge tub in which
the cheese had been packed, and in the
center of the vestibule stood the fra
grant gift surrounded with a dense
crowd who, without crackers or even
malt to their cheese had in two hours
eaten and purveyed away fourteen hun
dred pounds. The small segments re
served for the presidents use counted
for nothing in the distractions. "
Mrs. President Tyler, who entered the
white house as bride. was queenlike
ut her New Year receptions; Mrs. Polk
was dignified and somewhat quiet
Miss Lane won golden opinions while
her Uncle Buchanan" was president,
and so we reach our day and genera
ton. Never did the executive mansion
look better than it does now, and II
President Cleveland doesn't stop every
one presented to him will indulge in .
social chat, the matronly welcome OF
his wife makes the reception pleasant.
The amusing part of the receptions are
the people. from almost every cline
and dressed in almost every style OF
fabric and fashion. 49, Cor. Philadelphia
Times.